Oil-refining process and apparatus



Jan. 13, 1931. l. B. FUNK OIL REFINING PROESS NDAPPARATUS Filed 00?.. 2, 1926 INVENToR.

NHrm

MKM.,

6,; ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 13, 1931 "IRA B.' Wiliam-01:"r ALHAMBnA, CALIFORNIA OIL-*REFINING Pnocnss "Ann ArrARA'rUs Application mea? lcct'berfe, igeef'serial 1re-1391111;

My invention relates? to 1^ improvementsY in` the art of abstracting vdesired-lioluid hydro carlo'ons from' lvaporous hydrocarbons;

The principal'obj ect of anyinvention iste'y 5. provide a process fand apparatus 'for fractionating' and condensing desired hydroai carbons from a; mixture: ,of vaporous hydroi carbons.

Another object isto obtain a desired-frac? 10 tion; or wout, having:v a denedend' boilingpo'int romr-'a'\'mixturefof light Aandheavyr hydrocartons.v

Another 'objectffis ita-producer a gasoline from fat absorption oil.

'1'5` "Another 'object listofproduce a .closes cutfraction from a mixture of hydrocarbons.

-Anotherfobjectisito' provide a cheap and eiicientiapparatusns aunitary'fstructure for ractionating and'fcondensing.Y

process especially adapted to the; producf tion of'-desired'hydrocarbonsY not heavier than vcoinnierciahv gasolines having Aan end s boiling?:pointVV of laboutV 440' F;

inthe 'use Aof-stearnjfor distillation purposes.

1 FA furthero'bject Ao'rriyy invention is toprovide a'fractionating and condensinggappafrw tus* wherein the :temperature controls VVWill onfthecondenser tubes'. p f Y Y In "the drawing,A Fig:l 1 lsv'a' 'diagrammatic viewfof ian app'aratus'suita'ble' for the' proc- Rid; 21s a di-adrafnmatcvewfof'f art b c' Y P the upperpartfof'condenslng section B.'

,In the 'distillation,` and/orf rectification, of light f products obtained from ycrudeloil;etc.,

endif vmore j particul'arlyEA in thei distillation; and/or K'rectifcation, I 'fof 're-run products especially "in' the distillation of4 natural gelsV gasoline; fromJ absorption ornontining .the

means of heat from a burner-end the use of Another v cbj ect is 'tovprovide continuous' Anoth'erf Objectis ltde'ffect `great economy l' be= such' that scaler isY prevented--frorn formi-ng live steamY passed 'therein througl'i pipa 3m causes 'the lighter desi-red producten-epass through a line 4 to the interior off a vfractien'ating and condensing coluinnf: f

Partij of theheavy undesired fhydrbcarbonsis Withdratvn froni vstill l :through J ai: line '6,y andA line 751s providedftoreturirrh'eayy 55 undesired hydrocarbons yfroi'nfth'e'base 1off column' 51 tostill- 1^or ret'reatment,'or fredistillation.' 1f y.

Columnv 5v is coinposedjsubstantially"otwoi sections5` the 4lowerVV sectioirA comprisingj ai' 60v ractionating section havingV perforatedI platesor' screens' 8,2 and reflux funnels 9; 'all o'i'vvhich'are constructed inr a Well known? mannerr and of any /desired'lnu1nber.

'other' Well known form. o1f` contactapparatus f 65*I for Washing vapors;mayffbe'usedL` i The" s'ec-vr ond and' .upper` section 13Bconiprises-af'con# densingi sectiohe'having a pluralityf offperfo'rated' plates" 10; lreflux l tunnels 11; and a solid separating plate-12 havingfbubblecaps 70' 13 thereinI which* separates section from section'B. Plate Vl2 Inayjalsobeternedva Y Water'plate, but in'this'senseitfis only used."V for abstractin-g Water fromcondensingsecLk tion B. YA" vapor?-lineflly-serves to `4takeA 75 jvap'ors fromffsecticlrB to condenser 15 i wherein certain fractions are condensed and passed*x through a @line l'toa' receiver 17. The "desired liquid f hydrocarbons-V` may be draWnfoH rthrough aline 18',.WaterjdraAvn/ffY 80 throujygh'lv a line `19, Whileia xpump r20 serves tofWithdraw` `a lportionV of fthe' cold 'condensed'- `desired hydrocarbons from receiver [171v4 land i?? @191,161 heedfchamher 2% whenceithey; un y CTI are withdrawn through vpipe 16 to receiver 17 The'condenser tubes 28.are cooled by the flow of water, or other cooling medium, passing in throughf a line 30 and passing out through a line 31, ory vice versa. 'A thermometer 32 is inserted in the-upper vapor space of section A and a thermometer 33 is inserted in line-14 at its outletfrom section B, and suitable valves are provided in the Various lines.

lnasmuch as the process may bej'ope'rated termingled steam passing through line l to `the column 5. The pump 2O is then started for supplying Ycooled condensate from re-` ceiver 17 to theupper plate ofl condensing sectioni B' where the same Vpercolates downwardly and a portion passes through line 23 to the water separator 22. The ascending vapors from line 4 are partially condensed and fractionated -infsectionA and desired uncondensed portions pass through' the bubble caps 13 to ybe'condensed in section B. The temperature of the vapors inthe upper portion of sectionfA, just below plate 12, as indicated by thermometer 32, normally controls the quality ofthe product obtained in receiver17, and depends on the quantity of condensate. pumped into section` B, passlngV through separator 22and line 25 into section A.. The quantity of condensate thus passed through section B maybe controlled by; thequantity by-passed `through line 26.

The passage of vapors and steam through bubbleA caps 13 to be acted on in the condensing section B causes' condensed water, as Well as khydrocarbon condensate, to be abstracted through pipe 23 thereby eliminating the. condensing and re-boiling effect 'of water Yin section B yandl thus more closely cut product.

The action of the reflux passingthrough line 26 on the vaporsfpassingthrough line v 14 is to reduce their temperature to a point where the temperature dilferen'ces onthe inside and outside Vof tubes 28 rprohibits the formation of any substantial amount .of scale on the outside'thereofand at the same time'it aids in the obtainingofthe desired thus lowering the vapor pressure. Also ther 4G5- product in receiver 17. This action` is anV aid to 'the final condensation in condenser 15 because an increased proportion of heavier materials isintroducedinto' line 1,4

condensatev cycled through line A2,1 to .C011-` obtaining a densing section B aids, by direct contact, in lowering the temperature therein.

In this manner, the capacity of condenser 15 may be a minimum,thus offering avery cheap construction.

By making fractionating section. A and condensing section B a unitary structure, an outside primary condenser is eliminated. Also still 1 may be placed in the lower partof column 5 in a well known manner and Athe distillation, 'fractionation and condensationmay all take place in the column 5.

lnthe above'process, it will be seen that condensation of Ydesired light hydrocarbons takes place in two stages with continuous cycling of part .of-the condensate through the condensing section B.

Inasmuch as the scalingvof condenser-tubes' takes place `at temperatures at, or above, the boiling point of 'water at.. whatever pressurethe process is operated, it is therefore highly desirable that the Vtemperature of vapors` entering condenser 15 should be be-y low said boiling 4point in order thatcondenser l5 shall have the 'greatest -efiiciency per unit of size. This isaccompli'shed by,

passing condensate through line 26 .to ,mingle with the vapors in line 14 wherein the vapor pressure is thus lowered dueto the volume offcondensate 'containing heavier fractions supplied thereto.-

By thus controlling the quantity of con- Y densate cycled,A the desired hydrocarbons Vmay be recovered in receivery 17.y and 'will'A have a deinite end'boiling point.A

Iclaim: Y f .i .1. The processof recovering` desired liquid hydrocarbons from a'mixture of vaporous hydrocarbons which comprisestvaporizing a mixture of light and heavy' liquid hydrocarbons and mixing steam therewith, fractionating the mixture to eliminate un- Y desired heavy hydrocarbons, condensing the light desired hydrocarbons in two stages, continuously cycling a portion of the'condensed light desired hydrocarbons through the vap'orous'"ligl1t desired,` hydrocarbons in the first condensing .stage and separating and withdrawing condensed steam from the refiux liquid in the rst condensing stage. Y

j 2. The process Vof recovering desired liqi uid ,hydrocarbons from -a mixture of vaporous hydrocarbons which .comprises Vaporizing a @mixture of light. and heavy liquid hydrocarbons and mixing 'I steam therewith, fractionating the mixture to eliminate undesired heavy hydrocarbons', condensing the light desired hydrocarbons in two stages,

continuously ,cycling aportionlof theV condensed light desired hydrocarbons through the vaporous light .desired hydrocarbons in the first condensing stage and separating and withdrawing l'condensed steam from the reflux liquidl in the 'rst condensing stage ;v the Ynal" `condensation taking place ata tem'- t uid hydrocarbons from a mixture of vaporperature below the boiling point i of water.` l

3. The process of recovering desiredliqous hydrocarbons which comprises vaporizingl a mixture of light and heavy vliquid y hydrocarbons and mixing steam therewith, fractionating the mixture to eliminate undesired heavy hydrocarbons, condensing the light desired hydrocarbons in two stages, continuously cycling a portion of the condensed light desired hydrocarbons in direct contact with the vaporous light desired hydrocarbons in the lirst condensing stage and separating and withdrawing condensed steam from the reflux liquid in the first condensing stage.

4. The process of recovering desired liq uid hydrocarbons' from a mixture of vaporous hydrocarbons which comprises vapor1z` ing a mixture of light and heavy liquid:

hydrocarbonsand mixing steam therewith,

` fractionating the mixture to eliminate undesired heavy hydrocarbons, condensing the `light desired hydrocarbons and steam in two stages, continuously cycling a portion of the 'condensed light desired hydrocarbons through the vaporous light desired hydro carbons in the first condensing stage and r removing water Vfrom the mixture in the irst condensing stage. Y

5. Apparatus for rening oil comprising a still, a fractionator, a primary condenser, a final condenser, a vapor lineforming a connection between thecondensers, means to i pass oil vapors from the still through the ractionator and primary condensermeans to pass condensate from the primary condenser into the fractionatorl andr vapor line, and means to pass condensate' from the nal condenser into the primary condenser.

Signed at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, this 27th day of September, A. D. 1926. .Y

y l IRA, B.V FUNK. 

